Fading Light
by Daethule
Summary: He does not know....that he will be leaving soon. Short.
1. Chapter 1

A/N Just a short story I wrote yesterday and today while I was taking a leetle break from "Princes Of the Earth" (which will hopefully be up within the next couple of days…it's taken me a while to type the first chapter up. Thaaat's right. I write on that weird flat stuff called paper with that thingy called a pencil, THEN type 'em up on the computer. I don't know why, but the computer blocks my creativity.) There's only two chapters to this little story, and the second will be up as soon as I figure out how to do it. lol.

Disclaimer: don't own, don't wanna. Imagine all the people buggering you day and night!

Fading Light 

Chapter One

"It is cold."

"I know." How well I know. I spread my cloak over him, as well as I can. "Better?"

He shivers slightly, but does not answer. He continues just lying there, staring up at the trees. A pair of small songbirds twitters and chases each other around. I think he is watching them.

"Have you ever seen a more beautiful day, Estel?" he asks me. It is as if he does not know…This thought makes me want to weep.

"No, Legolas, I have not." Earlier the sky had been a perfect blue with not a cloud in sight, and all was well. Now, as evening falls, the sky in the west is red. Gold dust filters through the trees, and all is bathed in gold.

Does he see the gold? Perhaps instead he sees the Gates. I would rather he stay with me and watch long after the stars have risen and fallen again.

"It is raining?"

I wipe my eyes. "The Earth weeps."

"Oh."

I am glad he does not ask me why. It seems he truly does not know. I never thought it would be like this.

He raises his hand, fingers stretched to the sky. Why does he do this? What can he see that I do not? I grab his hand in my own and hug it to my chest.

The songbirds chirp.

"Legolas? My friend?"

"It is already dark. How did it get dark so fast?"

He shivers again. I shift my arm so his head rests comfortably in the crook of my elbow. I wrap my other arm, still holding his hand, around his chest. "Time passes swiftly," I tell him simply. It is true. All too soon he will leave.

"Estel, look." His eyes widen slightly as he stares straight ahead.

"What do you see?" My voice cracks and I choke back the lump in my throat. There is nothing before him. Not here.

"You do not see it?" he whispers.

"No. Tell me." I know he will have to go soon, but perhaps if I can distract him long enough…

His fingers twitch and curl, as if grasping something. "I can touch the clouds. Do you hear the voices singing? They sound sad…and happy. They are happy to see someone."

He breathes in deeply. I clutch his hand tighter. "Do not go, Legolas. Stay with me for just a while longer. Look. Look at the sunset. It is golden. Is it not beautiful?"

His head lolls to the side so he can face the gold, but his eyes are distant. "They are calling a name," he says. "They say…they—they…want him to go to them."

They are calling his name. "You do not have to go."

He does not answer.

"You can stay here with me for awhile."

"I think…I would like that. It is quiet here." He sighs.

Silence reigns. "Legolas?" He does not answer. My eyes blur with tears and it seems there are moving figures in the gold dust.

His eyes close. The birds chirp and fly away. His hand eases open and the cloud escapes. The gold dust disappears as the sun sinks from sight.

I weep.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the great reviews! I go crazy when I get one. The idea with this story was that there had been an Orc attack and Legolas had been fatally wounded. I had originally planned on putting something like "I weep and remove the blade" at the end, but decided it ruined it. So I left it how it is, and hoped someone could guess.   
Fading Light 

Chapter 2

"It is cold."

"I know. Better?"

I shiver. What does he mean? It is still cold. Why is it cold? Here in the green grass under the open sky I do not think it should be cold. There is no wind. All I can see all around me is pure green and blue.

"Have you ever seen a more beautiful day, Estel?"

"No Legolas, I have not."

There is silence. A single little white cloud floats into the edge of my vision.

I feel something wet upon my face. "It is raining?" But there is only that one little cloud in the sky…over there.

"The Earth weeps."

"Oh." What does the Earth have to weep for on such a perfect day like this? At least it would be perfect if it were not still cold.

Another little cloud forms at the other end of the sky, and the two float toward each other. This is odd. There is no wind. I raise my hand toward the sky, fingers stretched to the place where I know the clouds will meet.

Estel takes my hand in his and holds it to his chest. "Legolas? My friend?"

I blink and the blue sky and green grass fade as the light ebbs. Night falls. "It is already dark. How did it get dark so fast?" With the coming of night it is even colder.

"Time passes swiftly." That is true.

I see something. It is a small white light, growing as it comes closer. "Estel, look."

"What do you see?"

"You do not see it?" How can he not see it? The light is so plain against the darkness.

"No. Tell me."

I would, but before I can, the light is upon us. It surrounds us, and suddenly it is day again. The clouds have met. I raise my hand again. The wispy cloud slips through my fingers, and I grasp it in my hand before it can escape.

"I can touch the clouds," I tell him. I hold the cloud to my chest. I hear voices on the edge of my hearing. They grow louder as they, too, come closer. I can almost make out what they are saying. "Do you hear the voices singing? They sound sad…and happy. They are happy to see someone." I wonder who.

I breathe in deeply. The smell of spring flowers wafts on the air.

"Do not go, Legolas. Stay with me for just a while longer…" His voice fades as the other sweet voices grow. I turn my head in the direction they are coming from.

"They are calling a name." The name is so familiar. I should know it. "They say…" What do they say? "They—they…want him to go to them."

"You do not have to go."

It is me they are calling. They want me to go to them. I should go to them.

"You can stay here with me for awhile."

He sounds lonely, almost sad. I will stay with him, for just a while, if it will make him not be sad any more. The voices are quiet and fade. "I think…I would like that. It is quiet here."

I stay in his arms for a little while longer. A silent figure in white approaches, followed by many others. I must go now. I release the cloud. It floats away.

I stand from Estel's arms and walk toward the figures in white. They welcome me into their embrace. I, too, am clothed in white. There are large white gates before me, and a white light shining from within.

I look back at Estel. He looks sad. I hate to leave him there all alone, but he will understand. He will be alright. I step through the Gates and into the light.

End


End file.
